1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for driving an actuator. Furthermore, the invention relates to a system consisting of such a device, an actuator and a transmission device as well as a transmission device for use in such a system. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for driving an actuator.
2. Description of Related Art
Triggering an actuator in a contactless manner is already known. Such actuators are used, for example, in electronic lock cylinders, with the actuator in the case of such an application being configured as a locking magnet controlled by an electronic circuit.
Document DE 103 48 569 A1 describes a device for driving an actuator based on a contactless communication of a transponder with a transmission device. The transponder shown in this document receives control signals via an antenna device, wherein the transponder is able to trigger the actuator depending on the control signals. The power transmitted by the transmission device via the contactless communication is in this case supplied to a power storage device in the transponder. The power of the power storage device is used for triggering the actuator. In this case, it may happen that the power storage device is not yet sufficiently charged to trigger the actuator when a control signal for triggering the actuator is received. In such a case, the actuator is not triggered by the control signal.
Today, NFC technology (NFC=Near Field Communication) is often used for contactless communication between a reading device and a transponder. In this regard, a method by means of which a transponder can transmit information to a reading device about the strength of the reading field is described in the standard ISO/IEC 14443-4. Corresponding bits of the INF field are being used by so-called WTX requests for this purpose. In most contactless applications, such as, for example, the use of RFID chips in passports or credit cards, information relating to the strength of the reading field is not, however, transmitted or even required.